Psych Test: a crime novel

A failed police recruit's dream becomes a nightmare when he falls under the sway of a manipulative criminal. To survive, he must outwit a psychopath and confront the dark truth about himself.
A DREAM DENIED.
Troy Trenton has wanted to be a cop since he was a kid. When he unexpectedly fails the psychological exam, he's not only devastated but has no idea why. On the advice of his mentor, Lieutenant Winch, Troy takes an overnight job at gritty Dock 14—a short detour he hopes, not a dead end.
A DANGEROUS INFLUENCE.
Nobody at Dock 14 knows that smooth-talking forklift driver Ernie Ripper is in witness protection. When his enemies resurface, the U.S. Marshals prepare to relocate him. But Ripper smells opportunity and isn't ready to disappear. Danger fuels him. So does the idea of toying with someone new—someone like Troy.
A MIND GAME.
As Troy is lured deeper into Ripper's criminal world, the lines between mentorship and menace blur. If Troy wants a chance at the life he dreamed of, he'll need to outwit a psychopath—and confront the truth about himself he's spent years avoiding.

Psych Test is a tense psychological crime thriller set against the gritty shipping docks and freezing warehouses of Duluth, Minnesota. Atmospheric with tones of noir, Psych Test dissects the thin ethical line that separates cops and criminals, peels back the layers of personal identity shaped by childhood experiences and trauma, and examines the bonds of true friendship. For readers who enjoy Dennis Lehane's grainy moral realism and Patricia Highsmith's taut psychological suspense.